Card Factory Case study

January 2019

Overview:

Card Factory, the leading specialist retailer of greetings cards, gift dressings and party products in the UK, has been a customer of Menzies Distribution since 2015. Menzies provides reliable, fast and efficient just-in-time deliveries for all goods to its 70 stores in Scotland.

The objective:

Card Factory requires replenishment and delivery for its fast-moving stock and does not have the storage space at its shops to hold large amounts of stock. As a result, it requires consistent next day delivery with order tracking to ensure that its stores can access the products they need and amend order volumes in real-time to reflect changing demand from customers and peaks in seasonal demand. It is also essential that all Scottish stores can be covered reliably, with all products delivered next day from the Card Factory’s head office in Wakefield, Yorkshire.

The solution:

With its comprehensive and expanding UK network, currently delivering to 33,000 retailers every day nationwide, Menzies Distribution is able to provide Card Factory with a shared delivery service which maximises cost and service performance. Furthermore, as Menzies Distribution has such well-established coverage in Scotland, it can seamlessly flex up to seasonal peaks, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day, when the volume of orders can quadruple in size. Menzies Distribution also provides a returns service whereby it collects and returns unsold stock to Wakefield, to ensure minimal stock wastage.

Execution:

Menzies Distribution collects the goods from the Wakefield depot approximately three times a week. After collection, the fleet trunks the pallets to Glasgow to be distributed either directly to stores or onto further depots in Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness, for final delivery. Menzies Distribution provides a flexible service and is able to fluctuate to accommodate changes in demand, which can quadruple during peak times. This enables a next day delivery service offering to all Scottish Card Factory stores. Menzies Distribution also offers a return logistics service to deliver stock back to Card Factory’s Wakefield depot. This service is a highly effective, cost and waste efficient method and is implemented on an ‘as-needed’ basis with demand often seen following the holiday peaks.

All deliveries are tracked, and the vans are equipped with telematics to support this. The same drivers are used to deliver to the same stores to promote good relationships and accountability.

Results:

Menzies Distribution delivers to all Card Factory stores in Scotland and has ensured a reliable next-day delivery service throughout high and low season periods. With Menzies Distribution’s returns service, Card Factory has been able to re-collect all of its unsold stock.

Card Factory’s Vanessa Wood, Supply Chain Manager, said:

“Card Factory move all Scottish pallet volumes using Menzies Distribution with whom we have enjoyed a successful relationship for a number of years. What we most value about working with Menzies is their dedication to customer service which is of paramount importance.

On time delivery is at the forefront of our service requirements and pleasingly Menzies consistently delivers over 99%.”

Download Card Factory Case Study

Card Factory requires replenishment and delivery for its fast-moving stock and does not have the storage space at its shops to hold large amounts of stock. As a result, it requires consistent next day delivery with order tracking to ensure that its stores can access the products they need and amend order volumes in real-time to reflect changing demand from customers and peaks in seasonal demand.